Millennium Docs Against Gravity Seeks to Be a Conduit Between Eastern European Filmmakers and Western European Industry

The first iteration of the Cannes Film Festival, planned for 1939, was scuppered when Germany invaded Poland to trigger the start of World War II. But when the festival finally got off the ground in 1946, Indian cinema came out swinging. Mounted shortly after the conclusion of the war, the first “real” Cannes Film Festival featured competition entries from Billy Wilder (The Lost Weekend), Roberto Rossellini (Open City), and David Lean (Brief Encounter). In the spirit of post-war peace and reconciliation, the competition jury, headed by French historian Georges Huisman, handed the top prize — then the Grand Prix — to films from 11 of the 18 countries represented that year.

Addie Morfoot Contributor The May 17 release of the 2024 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue celebrates the swimsuit franchise’s 60th anniversary. A new documentary highlights the woman who founded the issue in 1964 – Jule Campbell.

EXCLUSIVE: Highland Film Group is launching international sales on the action film Alarum starring Sylvester Stallone, Scott Eastwood, and Willa Fitzgerald, which has just wrapped principal photography. 

What is the purpose of police in the U.S.? To ensure public safety, many people might answer. But that’s a thoroughly misleading definition in the view of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Yance Ford. In his new documentary Power, premiering on Netflix this Friday, the filmmaker argues policing in America is really about the maintenance and enforcement of a particular social order, one that privileges property-owning members of society while targeting and disadvantaging others.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Berlin-based sales agency Films Boutique has closed first sales and released the first-look image from Oscar-nominated Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland‘s biopic of the Czech novelist Franz Kafka, “Franz.” The project has sold to September Film in Benelux, Filmin in Spain, Vertigo in Hungary, MCF Megacom for the former Yugoslavia and Movies Inspired in Italy. The film was previously acquired for theatrical distribution by Bac Films Distribution in France, X Verleih in Germany and Austria, Bioscop in Czech Republic and TVP in Poland.

EXCLUSIVE: Disney+ is moving into originals in the Central and Eastern Europe region with a green light for Polish drama Breslau (working title). The drama will follow a police officer investigating an horrific killing and production is underway, Deadline has learned.

K.J. Yossman Switzerland has won the Eurovision Song Contest. Swiss entry Nemo stormed the contest with the song “The Code,” walking away with 591 points — a combination of a jury vote and public vote.

Eurovision is set to take place tonight (May 11) – check out the full running order and list of contestants below.Altogether, 37 countries entered the contest and were split in half to compete for a place in the finals across two semi finals on Tuesday (May 7) and Thursday (May 9). Tonight, 26 of them will perform in the final, with Big Five nations France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the UK and the host nation Sweden all going straight through.Representing the UK this year is Olly Alexander, who will be performing his song ‘Dizzy’ which has been compared to the likes of the Pet Shop Boys’ ‘It’s A Sin’.According to Eurovision World, the favourites to win the competition is Croatia, whose entry Baby Lasagna currently has a 42 per cent chance at snagging the crown this year with their song ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’.The full running order for Eurovision 2024 is:1. Sweden | Marcus & Martinus – ‘Unforgettable’2. Ukraine | alyona alyona & Jerry Heil – ‘Teresa & Maria’3. Germany | ISAAK – ‘Always On The Run’4. Luxembourg | TALI – ‘Fighter’5. Netherlands | Joost Klein – ‘Europapa’6. Israel | Eden Golan – ‘Hurricane’7. Lithuania | Silvester Belt – ‘Luktelk’8. Spain | Nebulossa – ‘ZORRA’9. Estonia | 5MIINUST x Puuluup – ‘(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi’10. Ireland | Bambie Thug – ‘Doomsday Blue’11. Latvia | Dons – ‘Hollow’12. Greece | Marina Satti – ‘ZARI’13. United Kingdom | Olly Alexander – ‘Dizzy’14. Norway | Gåte – ‘Ulveham’15. Italy | Angelina Mango – ‘La Noia’16. Serbia | TEYA DORA – ‘RAMONDA’17. Finland | Windows95man – ‘No Rules!’18. Portugal | iolanda – ‘Grito’19. Armenia | LADANIVA – ‘Jako’20. Cyprus | Silia Kapsis – ‘Liar’21. Switzerland | Nemo – ‘The Code’22. Slovenia | Raiven – ‘Veronika’23. Croatia | Baby

Naman Ramachandran Warner Bros. Discovery has appointed entertainment creative advertising and marketing specialist, Once Upon a Time, and brand consultancy and creative agency, BigSmall, for the European launch of streamer Max.

EXCLUSIVE: The American Psychiatric Association urges “ethical practitioners” to “refrain from attempts to change individuals’ sexual orientation” and it supports legislation that would ban “reparative” or conversion therapies that purport to be able to change someone from gay to straight.

Naman Ramachandran The European Film Academy has added a record 709 new members in its 2024 annual intake. New members include Cate Blanchett (Australia/U.K.), Jovan Marjanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Maria Bakalova (Bulgaria), Juraj Lerotić (Croatia), Anna Hints (Estonia), Ariane Toscan du Plantier (France), Stéphan Castang (France), David Thion (France), Marie-Ange Luciani (France), Latifa Saïd (France), Rebecca Houzel (France), Thomas Hakim (France), Sami Mustafa (France/Kosovo), Mohamed Siam (France), Hanna Bergholm (Finland), Hamze Bytyçi (Germany) and Christian M.

Film Bridge Sets ‘Helloween’ As First Film On Genre Slate With Shogun Films

Ariana Madix won’t stand for any negative comments about her new Love Island gig!

Murtada Elfadl The Millennium Docs Against Gravity Festival, taking place in Warsaw from Friday until May 16, has grown exponentially in the last few years. In fact it is now, as the people behind it proclaim, “the largest cultural event in Poland.” Artistic director Karol Piekarczyk explains, “There is a culture of watching films and of watching films with subtitles in Poland. It’s quite unique.

Loreen, who won Eurovision in both 2012 and 2023, has announced a UK and European tour for next year.The artist’s biggest jaunt across the continent to date will kick off in the Netherlands on February 15 with 20 stops across Europe. She will later head to Birmingham on March 17 before playing a headline show at London’s iconic Eventim Apollo on March 19 before continuing on to Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow.

Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland is one of the greats. A three-time Academy Award nominee—1990’s “Europa Europa,” 1993’s “Angry Harvest” and the Holocaust drama “In Darkness”— Holland is also known for her celebrated prestige TV work, particularly on the David Simon series’ “The Wire,” and “Treme” and shows like “The Killing,” and “House Of Cards.” But her best-known feature work has always leaned towards social justice and socially-conscious dramas, which brings us to her latest, “Green Border,” an bracing portrait of Europe’s refugee crisis that has been hailed as a “humanitarian masterpiece.” READ MORE: ‘Green Border’ Review: Agnieszka Holland Won’t Let You Turn A Blind Eye To Suffering In Devastating Refugee Drama [TIFF] Our review of the film described “Green Border” as “devastating” and “nightmarish.” “Holland has made a righteous, masterful work, arguably her best since ‘Europa Europa,’ but it’s not for the faint of heart or those inclined to turn a blind eye to suffering,” our review wrote.

Ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Sweden this weekend, a huge two-time winner from the country has announced they’ll be touring Europe and the UK next year.

Jack Dunn Bravo has set the date for the “Vanderpump Rules” three part-reunion, which premieres May 14 at 8 p.m. ET with extended and uncensored versions available to stream the next day on Peacock. The reunion will feature Lisa Vanderpump, Ariana Madix, James Kennedy, Katie Maloney, Lala Kent, Scheana Shay, Tom Sandoval, Tom Schwartz and Brock Davies with Andy Cohen serving as host.

Thania Garcia Billie Eilish will host two album listening events ahead of her third studio album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” slated for release May 17. The free events presented by American Express, and produced by Live Nation, will take place on May 15 in New York City’s Barclays Center in association YouTube Music and on May 16 in Los Angeles’ Kia Forum in association Snapchat. Eilish’s forthcoming album will be available on all digital platforms, and in a continued effort to minimize waste and combat climate change; across all physical formats in limited variants on the same day, with the same track-listing and using 100% recyclable materials.

AURORA has added two extra shows in Dublin and Edinburgh to her upcoming UK and European tour – see all the dates below. The Norwegian alt-pop singer is preparing to release her new album ‘What Happened To The Heart?’ in June, after which she will be playing a string of shows around the continent in September and October.